Question about pairing

[Morke]

Hi everyone!! This is my first season as a, hopefully, breeder. I have a couple of questions maybe you can help with.
First of all, I was wondering, how long is the sperm viable? If you see your snakes locking and you separate them after, for how many days is that lock useful?

Second of all, if you saw your snakes locking but you missed the ovulation, because you didn't know how to spot one..., so you keep pairing, but after a while they stop locking, is that a good sign?

Third, what happens with food? after they snakes stop locking, should you keep offering food? If the snakes don't eat, is that a good sign? if they snakes DO eat, is that a bad sign?


And, lastly, if the snakes won't lock again, but you haven't see a shed yet...what should you do? keep trying?


Thank you all for your help and patience.

[Morke]

Nobody?

[Eric Alan]

Start here: http://ballpython.ca/breeding/

1) Could be good for years. Females can store sperm and decide when they want to use it. Most will say that one good lock per shed cycle is plenty.
2) Ovulation is obvious - they look like they swallowed a football. There's only an ovulation when they're actually getting ready to breed - not on a cycle like in mammals. Not locking could be good or bad - totally dependent on the situation.
3) Keep offering food as long as they'll take it (once every week or two during breeding season). Once females ovulate, most will go off food completely. Again, though, not eating could be good or bad - totally dependent on the situation.
4) As stated in #1, pairing once/month or once/shed cycle is pretty standard.

Hope this helps!

[Morke]

Start here: http://ballpython.ca/breeding/

1) Could be good for years. Females can store sperm and decide when they want to use it. Most will say that one good lock per shed cycle is plenty.
2) Ovulation is obvious - they look like they swallowed a football. There's only an ovulation when they're actually getting ready to breed - not on a cycle like in mammals. Not locking could be good or bad - totally dependent on the situation.
3) Keep offering food as long as they'll take it (once every week or two during breeding season). Once females ovulate, most will go off food completely. Again, though, not eating could be good or bad - totally dependent on the situation.
4) As stated in #1, pairing once/month or once/shed cycle is pretty standard.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for the answer. I've been reading all kind of guides and tutorials, but those questions remained unanswered.
Thank you for the help!

[Eric Alan]

Thank you for the answer. I've been reading all kind of guides and tutorials, but those questions remained unanswered.
Thank you for the help!

You're welcome. Just re-read my reply: #2 should read "...when they're getting ready to lay..." not "...when they're getting ready to breed...". Ovy happens about a month and a half before eggs are laid.